New turbo and no more power

[subway]

Just got my turbo finished up last night and eagerly took it for a drive. it is a 93 factory garret with a wastgete. i dont have any exhaust except the down pipe so it sounds really healthy and mean wistles like a big truck to.

trouble is driving around it dousent have any more power than before the truck drives exactly the same just sounds much better. i suspect i have an exhaust leak but cant tell for sure yet, i havent had time to get underneth and really look. can an exhaust leak that cause me to loose all my boost? i know it could cause it to drop but all of it? i just picked up the parts to mount my boost gage so i will try to get some numbers but i am hoping i didnt get a dud turbo.

i probubly should have left the truck at home until i figured it out but i couldent resist

 

[Russ]

Did you turn up the fuel? If not, all you did was add more air. Gotta add the fuel to make more power.

 

[Agnem]

Without a boost gauge and a good hill to go up, or a heavy tiger on your tail, it will be difficult to tell. Usually, even if you don't turn up the fuel, you can feel a difference, but only under load when the turbo is working. Under conditions when you used to see black smoke.... if you didn't turn up your fuel, you may notice that the smoke is gone.

 

[RLDSL]

Did you use new orings wherever they hold pressure and a sealing washer on the bolt that goes through the snail to the intake ? IF not, you may just be blowing pressure out everywhere but into the engine.

 

[subway]

i do have probubly about 1000-1500lbs (still loaded from the truck show) in the bed and live next to some big hills to run up. my EGT seems the same up those hills as before, i can still peg it up to 1100 or so but no black smoke really.

i will have to check the seals, i cleaned them up and they looked good though.

 

[argve]

You should feel something.... I vote that you either have the wastegate sticking open or you're loosing boost somewhere, because even not turning up the fuel you should feel a little extra because you have more air to allow to actually burn all the fuel in the chamber = more power to the crank. not a lot mind you but enough that you should be able to feel it.

I know that when I would pop loose a boot going from the turbo to the intake horn on the E I could hear the turbo but didn't feel her much... I would quickly pull over and fix that...

 

[flatlander]

You didn't mention whether you turned your fuel up.

Exhaust leaks are easier to spot than leaks on the other side of the turbo (obviously). In fact I'm not quite sure how to find a leak on that side. Maybe inject oil into it and then you'll have greasy stains all around your intake manifold. Just kidding. If you find that the leaks is between the turbo and the downpipe or between the turbo and the up pipe have a gasket cut from 1/16 or thinner copper. In fact I had copper gaskets cut for all the exhaust connections. Once they heat up they'll soften and conform and seal nicely.

Definitely check the wastegate itself. Mine was stuck shut because I shortened the rod all the way up. With the rod as long as it will go it holds the wastegate open a touch. Yours might be stuck open. If so a little brakeleen will clean her up.

 

[subway]

thanks for all the help being completely new to turbos, this helps with looking over all the components.

well i found a major exhaust leak around my one manifold i thought it was tight it was really just a stubborn bolt that needed more force to get it in. there were a few other minor leaks to. so i took it back apart and put a thin film of exhaust sealer on the connections and torqued it back together. walla no leaks now.

got the gage hooked up and took it for a run, now i can get 7-8 lbs of boost out of it. i was hoping for a little more and it is still running about the same. better but not wow better. looks like the fuel screw is next since i have never touched that yet.

i did make sure the wast gate moves but dont know how to check it or properly play with that yet.

 

[tractorman86]

yea, it just sounds like you need to turn up the fuel screw. you wont necesarily loose milage doing this if you can keep your foot out of the fun pedal, i can't.

 

[FordGuy100]

Yeah man, turn the pump up some and have a perma- . I remember the first time I stepped on the throttle of my newly turbo'ed and turned up rig, it was amazing.

The sound alone was worth it though huh ?

 

[mankypro]

Funny, we're both doing the same thing and the same turbo. I put in a mandrel bent 4" exhaust though and the 3" downpipe.

I had turned down the DB2 2 weeks ago so the turbo is probably really starved right now - here are the instructions on turning the pump up if you don't have them:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/k2pilot/Injection pump adjustment article.htm

Now if I could find an article like that one for the wastegate...

 

[flatlander]

Now if I could find an article like that one for the wastegate...

They're not all that difficult to comprehend. The wastegate is nothing more than a trap door that allows the exhaust gases to bypass the turbine wheel. The actuator is a diaphragm that expands against a rod which opens that trap door. As air pressure pushes against the diaphragm it moves a little, and as the pressure rises it pushes it farther. Take the actuator off and make sure the wastegate opens and closes freely. Then shorten and lengthen the rod by screwing the attachment point of the rod back and forth.

On my sidewinder turbo, if I lengthen the rod all the way out it partially holds the wastegate open all the time. With it all the way shortened, I don't think it ever quite opened at all. Well it did with the extra turbo.

Once you have the parts in your hand, you'll see it's really very simple.

 

[Diesel JD]

Don't be messing around with the wastegate until you have a boost gauge plumbed in and pyro too. They are set there for a reason, you can get by with more but you need to be a guage watcher.

 

[mankypro]

I know, I know. I'm just fairly sure that the person who's turbo this was probably already had messed with the gate and I want it back to factory specs, which is 8 psi. Not going even go there until I solve my leak issue.

Don't be messing around with the wastegate until you have a boost gauge plumbed in and pyro too. They are set there for a reason, you can get by with more but you need to be a guage watcher.